
1 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

ig>q 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




A M YST E R Y 

.a. 



/ 







\e, 1879. . 



LOYOLA COLLEGE 



BALTIMORE. M D , 



'879- 






COPYRIGHT DEC. 25, 187 g. 
BY W. H. CARROLL, S.J. \^ 

All rights reserved. 



WOODSTOCK COLLEGE PRESS. 



WRITTEM FOR THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 

OF SAINT IGNATIUS' CHURCH 

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. 



TO BLESSED MARY 

EVER VIRGIN 

MOTHER OF JESUS CHRIST 

TRUE GOD AND TRUE MAN 

THIS LITTLE BOOK 

IS HUMBLY OFFERED 

IN HONOR OF 

HER IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. 

Christmas^ i8jg. 



PERSONS REPRESENTED. 
Persons Speaking. 

DiONYSius, a Grecian Philosopher. 
Maximus, a Roman General. 
NicoDEMUs, a Jewish Doctor. 
Phi LOTAS, Steward to Maximus. 
Benoni, ^ 



\ Shepherds. 



Simon, 

Eben, 

David, 

Gabriel, ^ 

Michael, )- ArcJiangels. 

Raphael, J 

Angel of the Grot. 

Saint Zachary. 

Melchior, ^ 

I 
Gaspar, J Kings of the East. 

I 
Balthasar, J 

Herod, King of the Jews. 

Gorgias, Chamberlain to Ki^ig Herod. 

High Priest. 



PERSONS REPRESENTED. 
Persons not Speaking. 



The Infant Saviour, Son of God. 

The Blessed Virgin Mary, His Mother. 

Saint Joseph. 

Saint John, the Baptist. 

Saint Elizabeth, Cousin of the Blessed Virgin. 

Angels, Priests, Soldiers, Shepherds and others. 




PLAN OF THE PLAY. 

ACT I. 

The Birth of Christ is looked for by the whole world. 

ACT II. 

The Birth of Christ is made known to the Hebrews 
through the medium of the Shepherds. 

ACT III. 

The Shepherds adore the Infant Saviour. 



ACT IV. 



The Birth of Christ is made known to the Gentiles 
in the persons of the Magi. 



ACT V. 



The Infant Saviour is acknowledged as God and is 
adored by all the nations. 



LIST OF SONGS. 



Prophecy of Bethlehem 
Song of Peace 
Shepherds' Chorus 
Fair Dove 
The Halcyon 
Angels' Chorus 
Angels' Semichorus 
Chaplet Song 
Gabriel's Hymn . 
Raphael's Hymn 
Michael's Hymn 

March 

Countermarch 
Final Chorus 



25 
29 

33 
39 
46 

49 
49 
71 
71 
72 
72 
81 
82 

83 



CHRIST IS BORN. 



^J-c. 




CHRIST IS BORN 



ACT 1. 

SCENE I. — The House of a Roman General at Bethiehenn. 
Maximus and Dionysius seated. 

Maximus. 

How readily this nation of the Jews 
Enroll themselves as vassals to Augustus ! 
Methinks the Emperor may well be pleased 
To see this haughty race obey his call. 

B ,3 



CHRIST IS BORN. • 

DiONYSIUS. 

He may ; yet, Maximus, it seems to me 
That for this loyal gathering there lies 
A cause more cogent than great Caesar's will : 
Some Providence doth urge this race together 
For purposes not yet declared to men. 

Maximus. 
What, Dionysius talking superstition ! 

DiONYSIUS. 

Not so, I speak what reason says is best. 
Ah, Maximus, since last we met at Rome, 
I've worried heart and brain in seeking out 
Truth the divine ; for not Socratic lore 
Nor Plato's wisdom hath unfolded it. 

Maximus. 

Tis strange thy quest for truth should call thee 

hither, 

To Bethlehem, remote from all the schools. 
'4 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

DiONYSIUS. 

Yet, not so strange, my Maximus ; for o'er 

This Bethlehem, some fate mysterious, 

Like pent up cloud, doth brood; and startling signs 

Flash out with sudden light, and half reveal 

A great event as looming o'er the world ! 

Maximus. 
You've caught, I think, infeftion from the Jews. 
They hold that he they call Jehovah, God, 
Will send a god-like being from heaven, to be 
Their King ; and make them masters of the world ; 
And bring the Golden Age to men once more. 

DiONYSIUS. 

And soon, they say, this Leader will be born 
Here in this town, in human shape. When this 
I learned, and had more deeply read the lore 
Their sages had forespoken to the Jews, 
I hastened hither, curious to see 
A spot so storied, so marked out by fate. 
And you ? I had not thought to meet you here. 
'5 



CHRIST IS BORN. . 

Maximus. 

In troth, I came not by my own sweet will, 

But ordered by Quirinus ; I am here 

To oversee the taking of the census, 

And with my troops to garrison the town, 

Lest, from these ardent hopes among the Jews, 

Some trouble may arise. 

DiONYSIUS. 

Do you not feel 
Some sense of mystery that here doth breathe ? 

Maximus. 

I own I feel, at times, a touch of awe ; 
The superstition 's catching. 

DiONY.SIUS. 

Throughout the town 
The word unconscious dropped seems to piece out 
Some fragmentary truth, fulfil some promise 
From heaven sent, or give new omens birth. 



i6 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Maximus. 

Ay, and thou speakest true. Yet not alone 
Among the Jews such expe6lation dwells ; 
But even Rome seems wrapped in mystic feelings. 
Thou knowest well what things, in olden days, 
A Sibyl sang at Rome ; and how she told 
Of other Golden Age that yet should dawn, 
When heaven once more should converse hold with 
men. 

DiONYSIUS. 

What think the Romans of the Sibyl's words ? 

Maximus. 

Some laugh at them ; and some with thoughtful brow 
Ponder them o'er ; and others have maintained 
That great Augustus is the god foretold. 

DiONYSIUS. 

A hope that all men have must come from heaven : 

I've traversed Egypt and Arabia ; 

Seen all the wonders of the mouldering East; 

7 



CHRIST IS BORN. • 

I've talked with sages and with peasantry ; 

Yet, everywhere, the hope that One Divine 

Will come, holds in men's minds its solemn reign. 

Nay, even on India's farthest coasts, I've heard, 

The tawny worshipper asks of his gods 

This heaven-sent King of Virgin Mother born. 

Maximus. 

Well, come he when, or come he where he will ! 
The world is Rome's ; he'll be a Roman subje6l ; 
His glory will be Rome's ! 

(Enter the Stezvard of Maximus)) 
What now, Philotas ? 

Philotas. 

A citizen of Bethlehem doth crave 
A moment's speech with you. 

Maximus. 

Bid him to enter. 
[Enter NicodemusA 
It is the Jew, the doctor Nicodemus, 
18 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

NiCODEMUS. 

I greet you well, good friends 

Maximus. 

Most welcome, Master ! 
Here's Dionysius, pride of Athens' schools ; 
You've known his fame, and now you know the man. 
Come, seat you, Nicodemus. We have here 
A question to your liking: of this prince, 
Or god, or hero, whom you look to see, 
To be the Leader of your race to empire. 

Nicodemus. 

And know you not the time is drawing near 
When the Messiah, long expe6led, comes; 
He who shall spring from Juda's royal line, 
And make us rulers of the rest of earth ? 

Dionysius. 

Bright hopes, good Nicodemus. Know you not 
That hopes like these have flattered many peoples ? 

19 



CHRIST IS BORN. m 

NiCODEMUS. 

A hope that lacks a warrant plays men false. 

DiONYSIUS. 

True ; and thy nation hath from heaven received 
Some promise of this King that is to come. 

NiCODEMUS. 

Ah, you have heard what things our prophets sang: 

Masters, ere Rome's ^neas saw the light, 

Ere infant Greece had yet begun to lisp, 

My nation asked of heaven with outstretched hands 

The Promised One that should redeem our race. 

{Philotas ajid a serva7it enter with 7'efreshnients) 

Maximus. 

I've heard, indeed, of prophets, but .their songs 
In scanty store have fallen upon mine ears. 

NiCODEMUS. 

These verses are well known in Bethlehem : 

20 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Before your stay is out, some village minstrel 
Shall sing them for you. 

Philotas. 

Even now, good sir, 
There is within the court a shepherd lad, 
Whom I have heard rehearse those mystic lays. 

NiCODEMUS. 

Who is the shepherd lad ? 

Maximus. 

Let him be called. 

[Philotas goes out.) 

NiCODEMUS. 

(Looking off and seeing Beno7ti) 
It is Benoni : good ; a gentle youth : 
No tongue more faithful to repeat the words, 
No voice more sweet to sing them than is his. 
Come in, Benoni ! 

21 



CHRIST IS BORN. • 

{Benoni enters.) 
I would speak with you. 
What talk through town to-day ? 

Maximus. 

More wonders, youth ? 
Benoni. 

Yes, wonders that do enhance past wonders : 
For did you mark, at setting of the sun, 
How long he lingered back ? The people said : 
He's loth to go. To-morrow, may be born 
A greater Sun that shall eclipse his light. 

DiONYSIUS. 

And I too marked his stay ; with noon-day strength 
He shone, or ere he plunged beneath the west. 

NiCODEMUS. 

But hast thou heard of other signs abroad ? 

Benoni. 
'Tis said that in the shrine of Pagan Jove 

22 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Built by the Romans, from his base uplifted, 
The god was hurled in fragments to the ground. 
And round the gentile hearths the household gods 
Totter from off their cherished standing place, 
Totter and break, and no man knows the cause. 

Maximus. 

Not so ! By all the gods ! It is not true ! 

Look you, how proud the god here holds his place! 

O Mighty Jove ! 

[Laying his hand on a statue of Jupiter) 

Thus shalt thou reign supreme, 

Till stronger arm shall push thee from thy throne ! 

DiONYSIUS. 

But do the people note these wondrous signs ? 

Benoni. 

Ay, and the whisper on some lips is breathed 
That now hath dawned the day by prophets sung. 

■23 



CHRIST IS BORN. • 

NiCODEMUS. 

Wilt sing, Benoni, what our prophets spoke 
Foretelling of these days ? 

Benoni. 

Scarce fit my voice 
To chant those anthems mystical. 

Maximus. 

Yet sing 
Them for us, lad, that we may learn their nature. 

DiONYSIUS. 

And guess what truth there lieth in thy lays. 

NiCODEMUS. 

Benoni, sing the prophecy, — that one 

That Beth'lem builds its strongest hopes upon. 

Benoni. 

'Twas thus the prophet spoke in days of old : 
24 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

{Benoni sings.) 
PROPHECY OF BETHLEHEM. 



Least of fair Juda's thousands thou, 

Poor Bethlehem ; but all thy brow 

Resplendent lights adorh : 

Thou, of fair Juda's princes, best, 
Rich Bethlehem ; from out thy breast 
Hereafter shall be born 

The king of Israel that is to be, 
Whose coming is from out eternity. 

A knocking at the door is heard, and the statue of Jupiter 
falls to the ground. Philotas hurries to the door; the 
other persons gather round the fallen statue. 

NiCODEMUS. 

A stronger arm hath pushed him from his throne ! 
A shattered mockery ! Ah fallen God ! 
Full sure thy reign is rushing to its close ! 

25 



CHRIST IS BORN. . 

DiONYSIUS. 

A mightier God hath ta'en the rule of earth, 
Or rebel nature hath usurped Jove's power. 

[Philotas enters.) 

Maximus. 

Look, man, the statue of great Jupiter 
Is fallen ! 

Philotas. 
Ah, enough of fallen gods ! 

Maximus. 

Speak, sir ; what means this sudden mood ? 

Who knocked at yonder door ? or what strange sight 

Hath served so soon to cool thy temper's heat ? 

Philotas. 

Oh, sir, 'twas but a lowly twain ; a man 
Already full of years, and by his side 
A maiden. Oh, how fair and goddess-like ! 
Alas, that I should turn them from the door 
Houseless, to bear the buffets of the wind ! 
26 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

' Maximus. 

What, wanted they a shelter for the night? 

Philotas. 

Some place to shield them from the winter's cold. 
They come from Nazareth, and in these parts 
They had no friends. 

Maximus. 

Did they revile our gods 
When you refused them shelter ? 

Philotas. 

Nay, not so ; 
But, smiling as they turned them from the door, 
Blessed me that gave them but a harsh refusal. 

Maximus. 

[Musing) 
How passing strange ! 

[Aside) 

What made the statue fall ? 

27 



CHRIST IS BORN. . 

DiONYSIUS. 

Surely, no shock from mortal hand could thus 
Have cast it to the ground. But whither turned 
The old man and the maiden ? 

Philotas. 

Towards the road 
That leads into the woods without the town. 

DiONYSIUS. 

Seeking a shelter in the woods at night-fall ! 

Maximus. 

Ah ! fallen Jove ! And what if it were true 
That one more strong than thou hath hurled thee 
down? 

DiONYSIUS. 

But come, good lad, I pray you sing what more 
The prophet told forespeaking the Messiah. 



28 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Benoni. 

{Sings) 
SONG OF PEACE. 

When all the peaceful world around 
Not trumpet's blare nor bugle sound 

Breaks o'er the jocund land ; 
When all earth's cries of horror cease ; 
When golden hope and smiling peace 

Go forward hand in hand ; 
In Juda's midst a maiden shall appear, 
Who unto earth the Saviour King shall bear. 

DiONYSIUS. 

Your song is sweet, good shepherd, and methinks 
The time the prophet spoke of draweth near. 

NiCODEMUS. 

Yea, even now 'tis come ; and Bethlehem, 
Dear home, thou art the chosen spot of earth ! 



29 



CHRIST IS BORN. ^ 

Maximus. 

Art sure, my lad, 'twas of this very town 
The prophets spoke in their mysterious lays ? 

Benoni. 

This is that Bethlehem, called Ephrata, 
Where ruled King David in the olden days ; 
And from his root th' Anointed shall be born. 

Maximus. 

This King comes not at such a time as this : 
Could Bethlehem a palace offer him, 
Or fit abode? For if he come to rule, 
Will he not come in kingly majesty? 

NiCODEMUS. 

Ay, but he comes of God, who is well skilled 
To temper all things by his godly wisdom. 

DiONYSIUS. 

Then, if he comes, 'twill be in lowliness. 
30 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

NiCODEMUS. 

Or angels shall make up his royal train; 

Thus emptying heaven's dome of all its courtiers. 

Benoni. 

'Tis not his regal splendour makes the king; 

A royal heart can rule in meanest state. — 

But look, kind friends, the moon is high and bright, 

So bright, 'tis almost day ; and every star 

Pulses with quickened splendour. Pageantry 

Like this would grace a king's nativity. 

When He shall come, of whom we spoke, all nature 

Should meet Him thus, should thus be fair for Him, 

As fair she was for God when first He praised 

Her beauty. Friends, good rest. My pathway lies 

Between the wooded hills. . So, fare ye well : 

And if the Saviour come to earth this night. 

Pray God, He bring the gift of peace to all. 

DiONYSIUS. 

The youth spoke true. All nature's powers are tense ; 
She stands expe<5lant of some marvellous deed. 
3' 



CHRIST IS BORN. 



NiCODEMUS. 



My heart beats quick ; my soul is bowed with awe ; 
And all my faculties resistlessly 
Are turned to prayer. O God ! when He shall come, 
Give me to know my Saviour, thy loved One. 

Maximus. 

(To Nicodemus.) 
No more I marvel at thy faith, good friend ; 
Yet mingle not thy hopes with anxious fears : 
The morrow tells whate'er the morrow bears. 



END OF ACT I 



32 



^^. 




ACT I I. 

SCENE I.— The hilly country near Bethlehem. David, Eben, 
and other Shepherds singing. 



SHEPHERDS' SONG. 



David. 

Hark ! how the love-lorn nightingale, 

All in the silent night, 
Softly from out the woodland vale 

Calls to the moon's pale light : 
[All sing) 

Break, silver moon, shed out thy ray 
Bright o'er the shepherd's flock alway ; 
33 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Whisper sweet dreams 
Adown thy beams, 
Till comes the light of day! 

Eben. 

O gladsome moon, to God so near, 

What makes thy smile so bright ? 
Have angels whispered in thine ear 

Some secret of delight? 
(All sing.) 

Speak, laughing moon, from thy bright 

home ; 
Thou knowest Him that is to come ; 
Oh ! tell to> earth 
His hour of birth : 
When will th' Anointed come ! 

David. 
How late Benoni is. 

Eben. 

But here he comes. 
34 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

David. 
Oh, welcome back, Benoni. 

Eben. 

We had thought 
Thou would'st henceforth abide within the town, 
Since to the hills thou came'st not all the day. 

Benoni. 

Not soon shall I forget these pleasant scenes. — 
But where have wandered my negle6led sheep ? 

David. ' 

Your flock, well fed, beneath yon spreading palm 
Are nodding in their dreams unto the moon. 

Eben. 
What gossip wags the tongues in Bethlehem ? 

Benoni. 

Strange things I've seen, and yet more strange have 

heard. 

35 



CHRIST IS BORN. * 

David. 

Benoni, we do miss thy merriment : 

Hath the proud city mocked thy rustic gear ? 

Benoni. 
Not so, good brother. 

Eben. 

Come, we shall dispel 
Thy moody thoughts with others not so sad : 
Benoni, canst thou well interpret dreams ? 

Benoni. 
That art my mother taught me long ago. 

Eben. 

An't please thee I shall test thy skill. Last night 
I had a dream : From places far and near 
Great flocks of birds came winging towards the town ; 
Brave birds, of many kinds and plumage rare. 
And with them flew two lovely snow-white doves 

36 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

In close companionship. The other birds 

All flouted these, and drove them from their cots ; 

Till, finding not a nest nor place to perch, 

Far out into the lonely woods they flew, 

To seek a shelter in the leafless trees. 

And as they flew — 

Benoni. 

I'll hear no more, good Eben ; 
You surely have divined my inmost thoughts ; 
But banter out of season causeth pain. 

David. 

Nay, then, Benoni, you too had a dream ; 
Recount it, come, and we shall read it clearly. 

Benoni. 

Ah no, with waking eyes I saw the birds 
Which Eben only in a dream beheld. 



37 



CHRIST IS BORN. * 

David. 

But whither turn to find your two white doves ? 
Tell us. I'll take them home and shelter them. 

Benoni. 

Listen, and I shall tell you all. To-day 

To Bethlehem came flocking in, like birds, 

Great throngs of people, all of Juda's tribe, 

To give their names as subje6ls of the Roman. 

Among them came a pair of lowly mien ; 

I saw them roaming up and down the streets ; 

Vainly, for humble crests do gain few favours. 

And when, an hour ago, I crossed the hills, 

I met them wandering down the lonely road 

That leads into the woods at Bethlehem. 

And when the Lady asked where they could find 

A shelter for the night, it seemed to me 

As if an angel spoke, so sweet her voice: 

Alas, I had no home to offer them. 

David. 
My poor Benoni. 

38 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Benoni. 

To the stable-cave 

That hes beyond the hills I led them. 

Eben. 

Come, 

Away with saddening thoughts that hush 

Your songs. And if you will be sad, then sing 

To the fair Dove ; and o'er the quiet hills 

The winds may bear your song to please her ear. 

Benoni. 

Sing thou, good David, for I long to hear 

Thy sweet voice mingling with the wind's low wail. 

David. 

Fair Dove, you flutter in the wind. 

Your pinions long for rest ; 
Can you no warmer shelter find 

Than in the bleak wood's breast? 
Where every wayward breeze 
That rocks the naked trees 
Pierces your lonely nest. 
39 



CHRIST IS BORN. • 

Oh, may the warmest blushes come 

Over the peaceful wold, 
And linger fondly round your home, 
Chasing the winter's cold ; 

So may the stars gleam bright 
For you, when robes of night 
The sleeping earth enfold. 

Benoni. 

Methought I heard from out the middle wood 
A slender voice. 

Eben. 

'Tis but the answering echo 
Whom David has so sweetly called. 

Benoni. 

No, no. 

Again I hear it growing nearer still, 
Listen, it seems the bleating of a lamb, 
And look ! a form emerges from the woods. 
(Sijiioii enters bearing a lamb on his shoidders) 
40 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Eben. 



Yes, 'tis Simon. 

David. 

Well met, good comrade. 

Simon. 

David, 

Thy voice is sweet, thy song doth please me well ; 

But who is she for whom the song was sung? 

Benoni. 

We know not, Simon, but no maid so fair 
Hath ever beamed upon our hills before. 
Alas ! No roof-tree shelters her, her home 
Is in the stable-cave. 

Simon. 

What ! have you seen 
The Lady of the Grot ? — for so we'll call her ; 
She makes the cave a palace with her beauty, 
And winning graciousness. I've come from thence 
But now. My lamb has bleated all the way. 
So loth she was to leave the maiden's side. 
41 



CHRIST IS BORN. ^ 

David. 
Sweet innocence was parted from her mate. 

Benoni. 
Who, think you Simon, can the Lady be ? 

Simon. 

I know not ; but she's fair beyond all women ; 
She's full of grace; and queenly majesty 
Doth hedge her round. 

Benoni. 

Upon her brow, methought, 
I saw the twinkling of a coronal 
Of living stars. The air that circles her 
Doth breathe devotion. When the Christ shall come, 
He will be born, I ween, of such a Mother. 

David. 

An air of mystery doth haunt your words, 
Benoni ; what, and thou speakest prophecy ? 
42 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Benoni. 

An air of mystery doth haunt the night: 
The Lady of the Grot is an enchantress, 
And she hath woven spells on you and me, 
On earth and sky, transforming and exalting. 
My soul felt nearer God when she was nigh ; 
My thoughts were calm and pure; and tenderness 
For slighted friends on tip-toe stole, and stood 
A knocking at my heart. She brought me peace. 

Simon. 

And not to you alone the maiden brought 
Fair peace. Me too, the rapture of her presence 
Did thrill ; it tuned anew my being; and chords. 
That jangled once, make sweetest music now. 

Eben. 

Th' Enchantress of the Grot did wave her wand, 

And lo ! the change. — I will be whimsical. 

And give my fancy scope : — This princess fair. 

Who bringeth peace, is Mother to the Prince 

Of Peace. She bears him in her bosom's cells. 
43 



CHRIST IS BORN. ^ 

I do proclaim this Lady (if I dare 

So to bespeak her, and yet save God's reverence) 

The mother of th' Anointed One to come, 

The mother of our King ; and we shall walk, 

By favour of our Lady of the Grot, 

Brave captains foremost in her Son's bright train. 

Benoni. 

Ay, Prince of Peace : for peaceful must he come 
Who comes from God. Before his face all strife 
Will pause ; his captains will win vi6lories 
O'er pain and wrong. Our prince will fight /^r men, 
And not against them. Cometh he to lead 
The hosts of Israel against the nations ? 
Or will he lead the world to Israel, 
And make us one, one camp to war on sin, 
And bruise the demon's head, and thus avenge 
God's injury and man's? He comes, I ween, 
For a vast purpose ; not to aggrandize 
One tribe, and make them despots o'er the rest ; 
But to redeem them, and all men that are 
Or have been or will be ; redeem them from 
44 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Their sins, worse tyrants than the task-masters 
That make the body sweat. Our fettered souls 
Are princes in captivity : the Christ 
Will free us ; and we'll walk, as Eben wished, 
Brave captains, foremost in our emperor's train. 

David. 

Is it not writ that He will come when war 
Has ceased upon the earth ? And now the Romans 
Have closed the temple of their heathen Janus, 
In token that the wars are ended. 

Simon. 

True; 
And even nature's self, the wide world over, 
Has armistice proclaimed : no war between 
Her elements. 

David. 

How calm the night ! The stars 
Within their stilly homes scarce seem to twinkle ; 
No cloud is roaming; nay, the wind hath hushed 
The leaves to sleep, and hums no lullaby. 
45 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Eben. 

The barren branched trees are stiffly pointing 
Their fingers to the sky. On rock and sward 
The fixed shadows show their outHnes clear. 

Benoni. 

This is the season of the halcyon : meet time 
To usher in God's Halcyon, who brings 
Calm to the tossing currents of the soul ; 
For even ocean stills his time-long moan, 
When broods the fabled bird upon the wave. 

David. 

Tell us, Benoni, of the halcyon ; 

I never yet have heard thee sing the lay. 

SONG OF THE HALCYON. 

Benoni. 

{Sings.) 
When builds the Halcyon her nest. 
She launches it upon the foam ; 
46 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

A sailor skilled, o'er ocean's breast 

She fearless steers her fragile home. 

The depths, enamoured, calmly flow : 

Then, seamen tempt the harmless wave ; 

And balmy ocean breezes blow : 

Then, frolic birds their pinions lave. 

So sails the Halcyon mariner ; 

So broods this mother on the sea ; 
When fledgling Halcyons come to her, 

I trow, stout sailors they will be. 

So heaven's Halcyon, Prince of Peace, 

O'er passion's sea his bark shall steer ; 

The storm before his face shall cease ; 

His hardy brood shall know not fear. 

David. 
It is a good conceit to make the ocean 
Bend all its forces to the bold bird's will. 

Eben. 

A heart that's brave may vanquish destiny. 
47 



CHRIST IS BORN. 



Simon. 



The wind is freshening ; hark to its sobs of song. 

{Lozv singing is heard}j 

Benoni. 

Oh no, not they the voices of the night; 

( The singing grows louder}) 
Full sure, that melody is heaven-born ! 
Oh, never angels carolled hymn more sweet. 

Eben. 

Nearer it comes ; and see, what floods of light 
Roll o'er the hills ! The day dawns in mid sky. 

Simon. 
Or heaven's gates have opened unto earth. 

The Shepherds fall on their faces. Angels fly down and sing. 
Among the angels are Gabriel, Michael and Raphael. 



48 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

SEMICHORUS OF ANGELS. 

Glory unto God most high ! 

Heaven's eternal King ; 
Sound God's praises, ransomed earth, 
For the Infant Saviour's birth ; 

And ye heavens ring, 
Echoing back a glad reply. 

FULL CHORUS OF ANGELS. 

Hail ! hail ! to God, to God on high ; 

And peace to men of holy will : 
O Earth, thy long desired is nigh ; 

His presence doth thy borders fill. 

SEMICHORUS. 

Peace to men of holy will ; 

Peace to every land : 
Lo, how in the silent night, 
Unto earth comes heavens' might ; 

Lo, at His command 

Balmy peace the world doth fill. 
49 



CHRIST IS BORN. 
CHORUS. 



Hail ! hail to God, to God on high ; etc. 

Gabriel. 

Rise up, rise up, meek children of the hills. 
Fear not; my tidings are of joy; to-day 
Is born to you a Saviour, Christ, the Lord. 

Michael. 

And hasten ye unto the hill-side cave ; 
For there his little heart doth throb ; for you 
It throbs. Its brightness doth eclipse the sun : 
Your hearts shall be enkindled at its flame. 

Raphael. 

And this shall be a sign to you : He's poor ; 
You'll find him in a manger laid. He's weak ; 
You'll find him wrapped in swaddling bands. Away ! 

The Shepherds make as if to speed away ; but stand, when 

they hear the angels again singing the Chorus. 

50 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

FULL CHORUS OF ANGELS. 

Glory to God ! to God on high ! 

And peace to men of holy will ! 
O Earth ! Thy long-desired is nigh ! 

His presence doth thy borders fill ! 

Benoni. 

Speed, brothers, speed. 

[The angels vanish.) 
David. 

Oh, look, the startled night 
Hath fled before the trail that marks the angels* 
Pathway. On ! 

Benoni. 

On to the grot. Oh, speed ! 



END OF ACT 




ACT III. 

SCENE I. — A wooded hillside near the Stable of Bethlehem. 

[David, Eben, Benoni and Simon enter singing.) 

David. 

Look, look, Benoni, there; the burning star 
That Ht the heavens hath descended now, 
And rests on yonder rock. 

Eben. 

What King, Benoni, 
Can this be that is born on these cold hills ? 
Think you it is the Christ? 
52 



CHRIST IS BORN. 
Benoni. 



I do believe it. 



Simon. 



Oh ay, for more than earthly king is he 
Whom angels bid us hasten to adore. 

David. 
Shall we not give our finest lambs as tribute ? 

Benoni. 
Our flocks and our whole hearts we'll offer him. 

Simon. 
On our way back, we'll call our shepherd friends 
To hasten and adore the Infant Saviour. 

David. 
What tidings we shall bring ! 

Benoni. 

Peace, peace ; this is 
53 



CHRIST IS BORN. •< 

A sacred spot ; for lo, the angels guard 
Yon cavern door. 

Eben. 

Shall we draw near ? 

Angel of the Grot. 

Fear not. 
Simon. 

O Angel, thy bright comrades brought us tidings, 
Good tidings of great joy to all the people ; 
And bade us hither come to seek the Babe. 

Angel of the Grot. 
Come, follow me. 

SCENE II. — The Stable of Bethlehem : a shed built before the 
entrance to a cave. A star is shining above it. Within, the 
Divine Infant, the Blessed Virgin and Saint Joseph. 
Groups of angels are singing; Gabriel, Michael 
and Raphael are in the foreground. At 
intervals are heard the Songs of Shep- 
herds approaching the scene. 
54 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

(Enter the Angel of the Grot, followed by Benoni, Simon, 
Eben and David) 

Angel of the Grot. 

Enter. Lo, there upon the straw, your King, 
Your God ! Behold his maiden mother, queen 
Of heaven. Behold his foster father Joseph, 
The Just, chosen to guide his childhood's steps. 
Approach the crib and reverently adore. 

( The shepherds kneel in adoration) 

Benoni. 

Sweet Babe, I know thee who thou art. My Lord, 
My God. Oh, goodness infinite! The Christ 
Is God's own self ! God keeps his promises 
With princely bounty, heaping copiously 
The measure till it overflow. Oh, deign. 
Sweet Babe, to look upon thy shepherd friends : 
We offer thee our homage and our hearts. 
O Mother of fair love, speak to thy child, 
Entreat him to receive us as his own. 
55 



CHRIST IS BORN. • 

{Enter Saint Zachary and Saint Elizabeth bearing 
Saint John the Baptist}) 

Saint Elizabeth. 

Hail, Infant Godhead ! heaven's choicest gift ! 
Hail, Virgin Mother, blest among all women ! 

Saint Zachary. 

Hail, Holy Child, true Son of God ! Thyself 
Co-equal God! Hail, maiden queen of heaven! 

Simon. 

Dear Babe, accept this flowering cross of thorn ; 
I've watched it grow : it ever kept its green ; 
Around it clung the sweetest warbling birds, 
And piped in tenderest strains their evening songs ; 
And when the moon looked down, and saw the cross, 
Large dew drops seemed to trickle down her beams 
And nestle in its leaves, impearling its bright green. 
This night it bloomed ; I feel it bloomed, dear child, 
For thee, to give thy birth a joyous welcome. 

56 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Saint Zachary. 

Another cross shall spring from that same root, 
Of greater size, more beautiful than this; 
Upon whose breast the dews of grief shall flow ; 
And in whose shade, shall men refreshment find. 
And thou, who bearest him 

This emblem at his birth, 
Shalt bear for him, at death, 
A cross of priceless worth. 

Simon. 

At death — Howbeit, this I know : 

That I shall bear 
No other cross, dear child, but one 

To thee most dear. 

Benoni. 

Comrades, away ; and speed you o'er the hills ; 
And tell to all the wonders you have seen : 
I will to Bethlehem, to Nicodemus. — 



57 



CHRIST IS BORN. . 

What joy will fill his heart when he shall know 
That all he hoped hath fallen true this day. 

(Going, but turning back.) 
What ! David, brothers ! Ah, 'tis hard to go. 

David. 
Oh, when I gaze upon that face divine, 
I long to stay forever in the cave. 

Eben. 

He cried not when the cold wind whistled by, 
But smiled as though he wished to welcome it. 

Simon. 
And saw you not what brightness lit his face 
When first his eyes beheld my little cross ? 

Benoni. 
And when our Lady of the Grot did press 
The cross upon his lips, did she not weep 
To see him smile upon it, and enfold it 
So closely to his breast ? 

58 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Angel of the Grot. 

Oh, shepherds, speed ! 
Go, speed the tidings. Simple hearts, lead on 
The wisdom of the Orient unto God. 



END OF ACT II 




59 




ACT IV. 

SCENE I. — Herod's Court at Jerusalem. Herod and Courtiers. 

Herod. 

My lords, thus far our reign hath lacked repose ; 

Pretenders to our throne have robbed from us 

Some sleep. But now they rest in sleep unbroken ; 

And ours they break no more. These hands are 

stained ; 

But traitors must pay forfeit for their treason. 

At last we wield our royalties in peace; 

For now we hold in firmer grasp the sceptre 

That Juda's race once swayed. No jealousies 

At Rome, nor treason here, can shake our kingdom, 

{Enter Gorgias the Chamberlain) 
60 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

GORGIAS. 

Look king, an embassy from foreign lands 
Doth crave an audience. 

Herod. 

Whence do they come ? 

GORGIAS. 

Your majesty, to judge from their apparel, 
They come from out the East. 

Herod. 

Lead them before us. 
{Enter MelcJiior, Gaspar, Baithasar.) 

Melchior. 
We greet you well, great prince. 

Herod. 

My lords, you're welcome 
To our poor court. If in our power it lies 
E 6i 



CHRIST IS BORN. • 

To aid in aught your lordships, you are free 
To name it. 

Melchior. 
Prince, in our own several lands 
We three are kings ; reputed wise ; are honoured ; 
Called Magi, as being skilled to read 
The stars. Upon one quest, -with single purpose, 
We left our homes. For guidance in this quest 
We come to thee. — We ask thee, where is he 
That has been born the ruler of the Jews ? 

Herod. 
That king am I. By heaven's decree the sceptre 
Hath passed from Juda to an alien born ; 
And Herod, sometime called of Ascalon, 
And sprung from lords of Idumea, reigns 
O'er all Judea, holding from the Romans. 

Gaspak. 

We ask thee. Prince, where is the nezv-born king? 

For we have seen his star gleam in the East ; 

And following it, have hastened to adore. 
62 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Balthasar. 

Far over streams and rivers, sands and mountains, 
We tracked the guiding star, and, hurrying on, 
We reached thy city. Now the star hath vanished. 

Herod. 

Now by our royalty ! we fain would know, 
Ourselves, this king, if such there be within 
Our realm. Lord Chamberlain, we license you 
To summon hither the chief priests and scribes. 

[The chamberlain goes out.) 
Some private entertainment, lords, 

(To the courtiers}) 
we'll have 
With these, our sudden guests ; you are dismissed. 

( Tlie lords depart}) 
( Herod much troubled leaves his throne, ajid muses apart 
from the Magi) 
Can this be the Messiah whom they seek ? 
What says the prophecy? — "He shall be born 
When Juda's power is held by alien hand." 
I've schemed to make this people look to me 

63 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

As the messiah. Now this rival comes 
To shake me from my dreams to living fears. 
[Enter the chief priests and scribes bearing volumes ajtd 
great scrolls ; Herod reascends the throne}^ 
Most reverend do6lors, tell us where is he, 
This new-born king, called ruler of the Jews. 

High Priest. 

Our nation has looked long for the Messiah ; 
And now his time draws near ; for all the signs 
Of which the prophets spake are being fulfilled. 

Melchior. 
And is it written where he shall be born ? 

High Priest. 

In Bethlehem : for thus the prophet spoke : 

{Reads from a scroll held by one of the Scribe s}^ 

"And thou, Bethlehem Ephrata art a little one among 

the thousands of Juda : out of thee shall he come forth unto 

me that is to be the ruler in Israel : and his going forth is 

from the beginning, from the days of eternity." 

64 



CHRIST IS BORN.' 

Herod. 

And can it be the Saviour now is here ; 
And yet you slumber ignorant of his birth? 

High Priest. 

Nay, but he is not here ; else, long ere this, 

Had trembling earth proclaimed his mighty name. 

Melchior. 

Oh, surely, hath this king already come ; 
His banner is a star outhung from heaven ! 

High Priest. 

When that our king shall come, all men shall know 

him : 
He comes with power and majesty from God ; 
Yea, in the might of God's omnipotence 
He comes, to lift fallen Israel to his feet 
And robe him with dominion. 



65 



. CHRIST IS BORN. 

Herod. 

Reverend pontiff, 
We are your debtors ; but we shall devise 
Some fair return. 

High Priest. 

{Departing with his train) 
My lord, we are your servants. 

Herod. 

(Leaving his throne)) 
When saw ye first and where your wondrous comet 
That heralded the birth of this new king? 

Melchior. 

Not twice six days have sped. Heaven's veil was 

fissured, 

And this bright star, like a new work of God, 

Shot forth to human view, confounding science : 

But ghost-like sounds, that fluttered on the gusts, 

Like voices spoke from out the vacant air, 

And bade us follow, follow and adore ! 
66 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Herod. 

If in the East this magic Hghtning gleamed, 
'Tis token he is born for nations there. 

Balthasar. 

Nay, nay, good prince ; for hither we are called ; 
And we shall seek till life doth droop and fade, 
Or find that one whom heaven bids us seek. 

Herod. 

Go, then ; and follow out this holy quest ; 
And when it is achieved, send tidings hither, 
That I may also follow and adore. 

Magi. 

{Departing.) 
Farewell, great prince. 

Herod. 

Fair speed, my lords ! 
[Akme.) 
The dolts ! 
Star-gazers from the East, forsooth ! They've come, 

67 



CHRIST IS B ORN. 

m- 
The dupes of marsh-born glimmers of the night! 

As if a star, that shines o'er all men's heads, 

Could to the East be luminous, and dark 

To all the West. Their minds are aged, doting ! 

{An acclaim is heard withotit) 

What means that shout ? 

Crowd. 

All hail ! all hail ! all hail ! 

Herod. 

Ho there! Within! My guards! Lord Chamberlain ! 
( The guards riisJi in cm one side ; the chamberlain on the 
other. Confused cities are heard from the outside.) 
What means this tumult in the streets ? 

Crowd. 

All hail ! 

GORGIAS. 

Flushed crowds are rushing by the palace gates, 

With face and hand uplifted to the heavens : 

A wondrous meteor hath cleft the sky : 
68 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Awhile it blazed above the court ; then sped 
Beyond the city walls. Towards Bethlehem 
It courses ; crowds salute it with, "all hail !" 
Some follow ; others utter mutiny 
Against your royal majesty. 

Herod. 

The traitors ! 
But this accursed mob shall rue their treason. 
Belike, they, too, would go a finding kings : 
Their necks shall find that Herod is a king 
When rebels grow too restless. Centurion, 

[To the guards) 
Be ready with your men. These roving-kings — 
God save the mark ! — will send us messages 
That they have found this nursling king of theirs 
Then, seek his root, and lop him ere he sprouts. 
If he escape my cut-throat knaves, then he. 
Not Herod, king of Israel shall be ! 

END OF ACT IV, 




ACT V. 

SCENE I. — The Stable of Bethlehem illuminated; 
a star shines over it. 
( The Divine Infant is in the manger ; on the right are the 
Blessed Virgin and Saint Joseph ; on the left. Saint Elizabeth 
and Saint John the Baptist who holds in one hand the cross 
presejtted by Simon, and in the other, the hand of the Divine 
Infant. Saint Zachary and tzvo shepherds kneel by the en- 
ti'ance to the stable. Groups of Aftgels are hovering about the 
scene. Singing is heard from a choir of Angels. In the 
foreground are Gabriel, Michael and Raphael, with other 
Angels^ iveaving a chap let of flowers.) 

70 



CHRIST IS BORN. 



CHAPLET SONG. 



Choir of Angels. 

Weave we now a crown undying 

For the Infant King : 
Take the buds on earth low lying ; 

Heaven's blossoms bring. 

GABRIEL'S HYMN. 

Here should, mid lily blossoms, shed her glow 
Clear Chastity, that breasts angelic fills ; 

That in the Paradise of God doth blow : 

Oh, sweet to Christ the dew that she distils ! 

Choir of Angels. 

Weave we now a crown undying 

For the Infant king : 
Take the buds on earth low lying ; 

Heaven's blossoms bring. 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

RAPHAEL'S HYMN. 

Here should, mid shrinking violets, be seen 
Fair Poverty, in dark dells pallid grown ; 

She blooms on earth ; but Heaven loves her sheen : 
To win her for his crown Christ left his throne ! 

Choir of Angels. 
Weave we now a crown undying, etc. 

MICHAEL'S HYMN. 

Here, too, obedience, the meek-eyed queen, 

Should twine her tendrils ere the wreath be done ; 

Captive, in fetters, lowly and unseen. 

Her eager heart hath Christ's caresses won ! 

Choir of Angels. 
Weave we now a crown undying, etc. 

Gabriel. 

And shall we weave some thorns among the flowers ? 
72 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Raphael. 
Ah no, the thorns are for his crown at death. 

Michael. 
He scarce will Hke the wreath without the thorns. 
(They enter the stable and present the chaplet to the Blessed 
Virgin, zvho places it on the Divine Infant's head) 

First Shepherd. 
{Rising, and speaking to the other shepherd, zvho also rises.) 
Hear you the sound that cometh o'er the hills? 

Second Shepherd. 
And hark, the tinkling bells a merry-making. 

First Shepherd. 
They come this way ; I hear men's voices. 

Second Shepherd. 

[Looking off) 

Look ! 
73 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

I see the bright coils of a kingly train 
A winding through the glens and creeping hither. 
i^Fhe angels vanish, the star disappears, the stable-cave becomes 
dark. Enter Eben, Simon, David, leading the Magi with 
their attendants)) 

Melchior. 

[To Bben.) 
Shepherd, where stands the palace of the king? 

Eben. 

[Pointing to the stable)^ 
'Tis there the stable-grot. 

Melchior. 

What ! yon bleak cave ! — 
Its porch a struggling shed whose props scarce 

stand. — 
A search begun in light to end in darkness ! 
A cave ! that opens not to light beyond, 
Nor any hope ! 



74 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Gaspar. 

The guiding star hath fled, 
And all the world seems darker than before ! 

Simon. 

Oh, sirs, within those craggy walls doth lie 
A pearl more pure than any ever nursed 
In hollowed shell by ocean's fondling waves : 
Draw near, and look upon the Infant's face. 

Balthasar. 

For this we left our homes and happiness, 
Alas ! to die upon these wind-swept hills ! 

Melchior. 

No, not to die ; nor yet in darkness wander : 
O Infant king, wherever thou art born, 
Call us to thee ere death hath closed the eyes 
That longed to look upon thy sacred face ! 

( The Magi turn away. 



75 



CHRIS7' IS BORN. 

m 

Angel of the Grot. 

(Invisible?) 
Turn, turn again ; the light once more shall shine ; 
Oh, turn again ; the weary search is o'er. 

Melchior. 

[To Eben) 

Whence came that voice ? Was it some shepherd's, 

friend ; 

Or did an angel speak from out the sky? 

Eben. 

(The star re -appearing.) 
Look, look, great sirs, the light that in the East 
Lit up your path, now bursts with sudden blaze 
From yonder hollow rock. 

The Magi. 

(Kneeling.) 
Hail holy light ! 



76 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

Melchior. 
And here, at last, the long, long quest hath end ; 
Here, on these dreary hills in middle night. 

Caspar. 
How great, O Infant king, thy majesty, 
That, veiled in poverty and littleness, 
Hath made majestic, things which seemed so mean. 

Balthasar. 
O heaven-sent guide, not unto palace halls 
You beckoned us ; for there our God was not. 

Angel of the Grot. 
Expea not for your eyes, but for your souls : 
No trappings here of earthly royalty ; 
What flatters mortal sight, itself is mortal. 
Draw near the Babe and reverently adore. 
{The kings adore; while their heads are bowed low. the 
ts illuminated again ; the angels re-appear and smg The 
kings, after adoration made, offer their gifts, which they take 
Ez 77 



cave 



CHRIST IS BORN. 

fro7H the hands of tJieir attendants ; tJie Blessed Virgin re- 
ceives the gifts in behalf of her child}) 

Melchior. 

Hail Infant, Lord of heaven and earth, 

Who ere the years of time didst reign : 

We bring thee at thy human birth . 
The golden sap of Orient vein : 

Upon thy brow in radiance may it glow, 

And gild thy darkling manger here below ! 

Gaspar. 

God of all ages, lo, we bring 

Sweet frankincense to offer thee, 
Fit emblem of the God and king 

That rules the heavens, the earth, the sea : 
Oh, may its fragrant breathings linger long, 
Inwoven with thy angels' wreaths of song ! 

Balthasar. 

Saviour of men, the myrrh we bear 

Doth not proclaim thee God and king ; 

78 



CHRIST JS BORN. 

But in its bosom gleams a tear — 
Ah, angel voices cfease to sing ; 
Our hearts beat low ; but thou art smiling still, 
Though on thy mother's cheek the tear drops trill. 
(Enter Benoni, followed by Nicodenuis, Dionysius, Maximiis, 
and Phi/otas) 

NiCODEMUS. 

My heart is beating 'gainst its cage's bars ; 
The very earth seems trembling 'neath my feet, 
As though its great breast throbbed with quickened 

joy 
To bear this new-born Babe. 

Benoni. 

Here is the cave : 
The maiden mother kneeleth by the crib. 

Philotas. 

Master, 'tis true ; here are the lowly twain 
That asked of me a shelter from the cold ! 



79 



CHRIST IS BORN, 



Maximus. 



Impostor Jove ! full well I now know why 

Thy fraudful power was tumbled from its throne. 

DiONYSIUS. 

( While they approach the stable?) 
Ye little minds of men ! Thou weakling science ! 
How feeble are thy steps to travel o'er 
The hidden pathways of the truths of God : 
We looked for him to march in majesty ; 
And lo, a puling infant has he come. 

{^Kneels and adores?) 
Incarnate God ! I bow before thy feet, 
And offer thee the powers of my soul. 

Maximus. 

heaven-sent boy, 1 called thee king ere yet 

1 looked upon thy brow : my king, my God ! 
Take up the rule of Rome, that rules the world ; 
Thine be the crown of universal reign. 



80 



CHRIST IS BORN 



NiCODEMUS. 



And thine to give the laws that govern men ; 
To bring back justice and to keep it here ; 
That earth may smile in peace and righteousness, 
As with our fathers in the olden days. 

The Angels led by Gabriel, Michael and Raphael, group thenn- 
selves on the stage : and, marching and countermarching in 
slow time, perform a solemn dance ; weaving and inter- 
weaving their lines, they form the figures of a circle, 
a triangle, and a cross. The words that follow 
are sung. The Angel of the Grot with a 
wand directs the singing and the 
movements. 

MARCH. 

Lo, a light in the dark hath arisen : 

It shall grow till it banisheth night ; 
It shall beam when the years have grown old ; 
It shall beam when the sun hath grown cold ; 
When time dies in his mouldering prison ; 
It shall fill all the tribes with delight ! 
8i 

\ 



CHRIST IS BORN. 



COUNTERMARCH, 



And the earth hath been warmed by thy ray 
From its torpor, O Child of the Cave! 

And the shapes have beheld Thee and fled, 

That live in the land of the dead, 

That lurk in the deep sombre vi^ay. 

That leads to the night of the grave ! 

MARCH. 



And Darkness hath fled from His face, 

And Sorrow that dwells in the shade ; 
And Love hath ta'en up her old place 

In hearts where her throne first was made ; 
For Enmities, Children of Night, 
And Discord and Wrath take affright 
And Friendship renews her embrace, 
And her memories that never shall fade. 

82 



CHRIST IS BORN. 



COUNTERMARCH. 



And this Babe was the Light 

That arose in the night ; 

And this Babe was the Peace 

That brought us from our sins a sweet release. 
( While the above is being sung, the stable is growing brighter 
and brighter. During the singing of the followi7ig stanza, the 
stable is brilliantly illuminated. The angels stand, the shep- 
herds and chara6lers rise from their knees, and all sing :) 

FINAL CHORUS. 



Loud, oh, loud resound the lay 

For the Godhead's human birth : 

Lo, the holy Christmas day 

Dawneth bright o'er all the earth ! 

AD MAJOREM DEI GLOIIIAM. 



